"I condemn Rep. Steve King’s comments on white supremacy; they are offensive and racist — and not representative of our state of Iowa," Sen. Joni Ernst tweeted Saturday. "We are a great nation and this divisiveness is hurting everyone. We cannot continue down this path if we want to continue to be a great nation."

I condemn Rep. Steve King’s comments on white supremacy; they are offensive and racist - and not representative of our state of Iowa. We are a great nation and this divisiveness is hurting everyone. We cannot continue down this path if we want to continue to be a great nation.

Ernst also linked to a Washington Post op-ed from Sen. Tim Scott in which the South Carolina Republican pulled no punches addressing King's history of racially-charged rhetoric and the lack of action by his party to curb it.

"King’s comments are not conservative views but separate views that should be ridiculed at every turn possible," Scott wrote in the piece.

Both senators have offered King support in the past or campaigned with him. Shortly before the 2018 election, King released of video of Grassley in which Iowa's senior senator called King an "ally" who he needed in the House.

"Our current representative’s caustic nature has left us without a seat at the table," Feenstra said on Twitter. "We don’t need any more sideshows or distractions, we need to start winning for Iowa’s families."

Vander Plaats said on Twitter Friday that the comments in the New York Times were "a bridge too far," and appeared on a CNN panel later that day.

"The people of the 4th District, where I grew up, they are good people," Vander Plaats told CNN's Erin Burnett. "They need to be represented well, but not with remarks like this. That's why I wanted to speak out."

Jake Kurtz can be contacted at jtkurtz@registermedia.com or on Twitter @ByJakeKurtz.